The Legend of Zelda: Staff of Heaven
by Mini Boss Majoring
Summary: It begins again. In an attack on Castle Town, a young Royal Messenger named Link finds himself on a journey to not only save the princess, but eventually the essence of the Triforce itself. A hero will be born, and the legend will continue.
1. The Story Begins

Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda is not my property. I have no say in the corporation choices of Nintendo. Dodongo no like smoke.

The Legend of Zelda: Staff of Heaven

Chapter 1

The Story Begins

The sun shined down on the busy city that was formerly known as Hyrule Castle Town. People moved to and fro, going about their days in the relaxed manner that belied such a busy place. Talk permeated the air, with not a drop of silence to be found in even the side alleys; a certain spirit of pleasantry was in the crowds, touching man and woman alike. Even the birds above the people seemed to be filled with the same feeling of ease, as their songs never ceased. Only a few soldiers retained the rigid guard that was expected of the protectors of the Hylian people.

Making his way through the crowd was the young man Link. He wore a green tunic, with white pants and shirt underneath, while a similar green cap was pulled firmly over his hair. A brown satchel was slung over his shoulder, bumping against his hip as he walked. Around his left arm was an armband that had the golden insignia of the Royal Family. Combined with the satchel, they marked him as an official messenger for them.

Link was just as affected as the citizens by the cheerfulness that had taken over them. His smile was warm and his blue eyes seemed to have a light of their own, nodding politely to anyone who greeted him. He squeezed past a group of people who were outside a stall and passed by the soldiers watching the entrance to Hyrule Castle.

Unlike the town, the grounds of Hyrule Castle were silent, almost solemn. It was as though the river that separated Castle Town from Hyrule Castle laid a spell on any who walked through. The only sounds Link could hear were that of a few birds and his own footsteps. It was peaceful.

Link passed over the drawbridge and nodded to the guards at the front door. They opened them for him, and he walked into the great hall of the castle. From there, it was up the stairs and forward into the throne room.

At the opposite end of the throne room sat the King of Hyrule, who was talking with one of the advisers. They stopped when one of the guards announced a royal messenger; Link moved to one knee and bowed politely. "Ah, there is our youngest and most loyal messenger," the King greeted. "Where does this message come from, Link?"

"From the head guard at Kakariko Village, Your Majesty," Link replied. He rose to his feet, pulled a letter out of his satchel, and gave it to the King. There was a lengthy silence as the King read and re-read the letter. Link had gotten good at reading people's reactions to the messages he delivered, but he had never been able to read the King's face.

As the King read the letter, a voice broke the silence. "Is something the matter, Father?"

The three turned to see Princess Zelda coming through the doors; Link bowed when he saw her. He liked Zelda; she was around his age and she was the one responsible for his current post as a Royal Messenger. She smiled warmly at him, and fought away the blush on his cheeks.

"Nothing at all, Zelda," the King assured, warmth in his voice. For her age Zelda was unusually mature and wise; yet once in a while she exhibited a touch of childishness. So the questioning smirk she gave Link was not irregular. That didn't stop him from fighting another blush. She may have been pretty, but she was the princess. The King spoke again and Link turned his attention to him. "Counselor, I think the general may want to see this. Link, you're dismissed."

Link bowed to the King again and made his leave with the adviser behind him. Zelda watched Link retreat behind the doors, a sad, specific knowing look in her eyes. The sound of her father talking distracted her.

"I don't know what you see in that boy," the King mused. "He's far too shy to survive a day with you, let alone ask you for a day."

"Father!" Zelda protested, ears burning. She gave him her best glare, but the King rolled it off. Her mother's uses of the look had long rendered him immune. Zelda turned back towards the throne room doors. There was no way her father knew; chances are he would never know either.

Legend of Zelda

Link headed through the castle halls, looking for one in particular. His thoughts kept flashing back to Zelda in the throne room. For some reason, whenever he looked at her he saw her younger—yet he also saw her older as well. None of it made sense, since he'd only seen her a year ago. He even had weird dreams of the two of them together on grand adventures. He decided to blame it on hormones and Hyrule's legends.

Finally Link reached the room he was looking for; the Royal Messengers' offices. He walked in and found the Head Messenger sitting at his desk, whistling as he worked. "Ah, there you are Link!" the Head Messenger greeted. "I'd heard that you were back. How'd you like Kakariko village? Calmer than Castle Town, I'm sure."

Link shrugged in reply, causing the Head Messenger to shake his head and chuckle. Hyrule Castle and Castle Town were along the northern border of Hyrule's sovereignty. The river that divided Castle Town from the castle flowed east and south until it reached Lake Hylia. South of Lake Hylia were the Lost Woods; it was forbidden for people to go there, or else they might never return. North of the lake were the Goron Mountains; Link had only been there once or twice. The source of the river came from the Zora's Domain, the northwest, and the southwest was the Gerudo desert, passable through a small mountain pass. Kakariko sat just east of the pass; it was a couple days' journey on foot.

"Long trip, huh?" the Head Messenger asked, taking Link out of his thoughts. "Well you're thirteen, lad; we should be picking you out a horse in a couple of months now and getting you ready to ride. How's that sound?"

Relief showed on Link's face and the Head Messenger laughed out loud. No messenger liked having to go everywhere on foot, but laws required a certain age for a person to be a messenger; Link had gotten away with it because Zelda could be a force to be reckoned with. That didn't stop Link from being excited to finally ride.

"Well all our other messengers are out in the field, but I don't have anything for you right now," the Head Messenger explained. He tossed Link a small bag. "Here; your week's paycheck. Why don't you go into town for a little bit? I'm sure we'll have something for you later in the afternoon." Link took the rupees with a bright smile, nodded to the Head Messenger, and left the office.

Castle Town was still as busy as it had been a while ago, with people all over the place. Link's first thought was to buy some more cloth in case he needed to do a little needle and thread work. Then it was onto his meal for the day. The best part about getting a little time to himself in Castle Town was that there was an excellent cook at one of the inns who did the best Cucco.

Link got his plate and happily went at it. He had recently gotten paid, had a job that took him all over Hyrule, and soon would be learning to ride a horse. Things really didn't get much better than this. He eventually finished his plate, paid for it, and headed back out into the streets. Link checked his time against the sun. He'd been out for maybe an hour or two; the Head Messenger probably had something by now. Link headed back towards the castle.

He was stopped by a cloaked figure who obstructed his path. Link paused. He'd never seen the figure or the cloak before, in Castle Town or anywhere else that he'd been. It was possible that it belonged to a Gerudo, but Link wasn't certain. There was one thing he did know, an instinct that Link didn't know he had; this figure was dangerous.

"Link?" the figure asked; it was a male. Link said nothing; he felt concerned but they were also in the center of Castle Town. Confidence gave him strength and he stared down the hood of the figure. "Hmph. Hurry up already."

With that last strange comment, the figure walked away impatiently. Link frowned; what did he mean by hurry up? If he'd been referring to his job as a Royal Messenger, then why didn't he show his face and his armband? And the figure had spoken like he knew Link. Something was odd.

But Link didn't have any more time to think about it as a scream pierced the air. His head jerked in the direction of the sound and his eyes widened in shock. Monsters had somehow infiltrated the town and were now charging into the crowds in murderous mayhem. All at once the Castle Town became a place of panic as people ran from the invading horde. Soldiers shoved their way through to fight the creatures back, but the panic prevented them from being successful.

Link was unarmed and shocked by the sudden attack, so he did what the rest of the crowds were doing. As one body the citizens and defenseless of Castle Town headed towards the castle. It was the idea that they would get everyone across and then lift the drawbridge over the river. From there the soldiers would be able to deal with any trouble quickly.

He was nearly knocked over and trampled a few times, but Link kept his footing and made it with everyone onto the drawbridge. His eyes widened with surprise and he came to a halt; monsters were already over the bridge and attacking the castle, coming in from the air. Link gritted his teeth and then ran forward anyway as the panicked masses exploded into any direction they could.

What was going on? How had so many monsters appeared at once? Link's first thought was that the cloaked figure was related. He hadn't caught a glimpse of him again, yet he had felt dangerous enough to be involved. Link ran past a fighting guard and monster and into the castle doors. More fighting was taking place as Link made his way to the Messenger office. The Head Messenger would know what to do.

No sooner had Link burst into the office than a sword was at his chest. Link stumbled backwards away as the Head Messenger recognized who it was. "Gah, scared me right Link," the Head Messenger muttered. He was clutching his side and Link could see the open gash. The perpetrator, a dead monster, disappeared into smoke.

Link moved forward and helped the Head Messenger into a chair. He grabbed some spare clothing and started wrapping it around the Head Messenger's wound; it looked bad.

"This is really bad, Link," the Head Messenger explained, helping Link as best as he could. "The guard—ergh—doesn't have the resources for such a sudden attack like this. There are several secret passages throughout the castle to get out, but I don't know if there are enough guides. I'm lucky to be alive as it is; monster nearly gutted me. It was my satchel that saved my life."

The boy in green only nodded in agreement. Inside, he was shaking in his boots. He had never had to deal with monsters before, let alone a whole horde. Link just thought himself fortunate that he hadn't seen death yet; how had a such a wonderful day gone so terribly wrong? The thirteen year old was shaken by it.

A guard came through the door. "The situation's looking poor for our defenses," he explained. "The King's made the decision to start evacuating everyone, and since you're the only one who knows the secret passageway for the Royal Family..."

"I need to get moving," the Head Messenger finished. He started to stand up and then sharp pain went up his side. "Argh! Curses on that monster! I can barely stand."

Link looked at the Head Messenger and then at the guard; the fear on the guard's face was in no way reassuring. But something welled deep inside Link was rising to the surface. The truth was that the Head Messenger _wasn't_ the only one who knew the passage; he had told Link once when he was severely ill, worried he might not make it through. Fear was still present in Link's mind, but he knew what he had to do. He wasn't going to succumb to it.

"I'll go," Link declared.

"What?" the Head Messenger asked, shocked.

"Does he know the passageway?" the guard asked skeptically.

"Yeah, but..." the Head Messenger trailed off. He looked at Link. "It's dangerous out there."

Link knew that. Oh he knew that; the desire to shake in his boots and hide was a sure sign. But he wasn't going to. Maybe it was childish naivety and ignorance, but he had to overcome and help as best he could; he knew that too. He met the Head Messenger's eyes.

The Head Messenger knew that look in Link's eyes; he'd seen in men who knew they were outmatched but determined to fight to the finish. It seemed Link had courage beyond his years. The Head Messenger sighed and nodded. Link gave him a small hopeful smile before turning to go with the guard. He was stopped by a tug on his sleeve. "Take this with you," the Head Messenger advised. He tossed Link his sword.

Link took it and looked at it briefly. He had never used a sword before, but it felt...right in his hands. Confident with a weapon in his hands, Link followed the guard to the Royal Family. It was time to see how brave he really was.


	2. The Secret Passageway

Chapter 2

The Secret Passageway

Link followed the guard as quickly as he could, keeping a tight grip on the hilt of the sword. He hoped that the Head Messenger made it out all right; he didn't deserve to die in this. Nobody did. Yet the panic around him as screams and battling filled the air seemed to declare otherwise. His previously relaxed demeanor was now rigid as he followed, half jumpy at anything that moved. People ran in every direction, trying to find refuge or going into battle against the threat of the horde.

Ahead was the stairway to the throne room, as well as a battle against several skeleton knights. The guard led Link around it, weaving in-between other soldiers before reaching the stairway; a grimace crossed the face of Link's companion as another soldier was struck down. He had known that soldier personally. "Go ahead; there's an escort waiting to take the Royal Family with you. I've got business with these vermin," the guard ordered. He brandished his spear at the skeleton knight and charged into battle. Link's last glimpse of him was running the skeleton through as another closed in on him.

The young messenger shoved open the doors to the throne room and ran in, taking note of what was going on. Ahead, the Royal Family stood ready with a contingent of guards. The contingent was led by the Captain of the Guards, who gave Link a nod. Link nodded back, the only semblance of normality in this situation. A bit more confidence was added to his previous determination; it was going to be all right. Nobody could beat the Captain of the Guards in combat.

"You're our guide, Link?" the King asked. Link gave a quick nod, still gripping the hilt of his sword. Zelda, who had been scanning the room for any other sign of escape, heard Link's name and looked to meet his eyes. They were wild with the obvious signs of fear and uncertainty. And in the center of all that, there was a silent bravery and will to make it through. Link might have been scared as she was, but he was holding fast. The knowledge that he was relieved Zelda of her fears; there was courage with them yet.

Meanwhile Link watched as relief flooded Zelda's face. It helped secure his center amidst a flood of doubts and worries; this was his duty and he'd see it through.

"Then there's no time to waste; lead the way," the King ordered. Link didn't say anything as he remembered the path he'd been told to take in this kind of situation. He headed towards the side wall and put a hand on it, running it along the stone, looking for something. _The walls are smooth_, the Head Messenger's voice said in his mind,_ except for one patch. Pull there to open it up._ Link continued to feel the stone until his hands scraped against a portion of it. There was the rough patch.

"Over here," Link said, and two guards came over to help him. They pulled where Link was, and part of the wall swung open to a wooden frame behind it. Link shoved it and the frame revealed itself to be a bookcase; it fell over and the way into an unused guest room was revealed. Without any hesitation Link stepped through with the Royal Family and escort right behind him. They left the guest room and found themselves in a corridor that the monsters hadn't reached yet.

Link had no idea how quickly monsters traveled, so they'd have to move fast. _Down the left side of the corridor, there's a row of suits of armor. Turn the suits towards each other to open the doorway._ He kept his pace up and spotted the way left; the suits of armor would be just around there. Link turned the corner and found a patrol of bokoblins wandering the corridor, having killed the guards there.

There was a moment of pause between Link and the bokoblins as they realized the other was there. Link felt fear threaten to freeze him in place. But he could hear the footsteps of the others behind him. They depended on him to lead them to safety. Link narrowed his eyes and forced his fear down, replacing it with courage. He raised his sword and let out a wordless shout before swinging down on the first bokoblin.

The monster raised it weapon up to block just in the nick of time as steel met wood. Link raised his sword again and brought it down, this time striking the bokoblin in the head and dropping it. Link's arm froze for a second as the bokoblin turned into smoke. He had just killed something. Granted it had been a monster, but Link had never ended a life before. It was a new feeling, tainted and ill. Link didn't have to decide whether or not he liked it; he didn't. But as the three other bokoblins came at him, he knew that he would have to learn to live with it. After all, Link tried to rationalize, they were monsters.

Before Link could act, shouts from behind him caught his attention as the Guard Captain and the others ran into battle, destroying the bokoblins using numbers and surprise. It was over before Link had time to think. A hand squeezed his shoulder. "Don't worry, Link," the King offered. Could he sense Link's emotions? "You'll learn how to deal with it. Just show us the way for now."

"Yes sir," Link answered, and lowered his sword before heading to the suits of armor. He instructed the guards to turn the two suits of armor to face each other. For a second, nothing happened. Then the wall between them opened magically to reveal a dark room and passageway with a lone torch in side. Above the torch, a painting of the Hero of Time fighting against Ganondorf hung on the wall. Link could only imagine how old the painting was.

Sound caught the group's attention. Their fight with the bokoblins and moving the armor had caught the attention of a large group of skeleton knights. Without hesitation most of the guards charged against them, despite knowing they wouldn't make it. The King's face changed, and for once Link was able to read it. It was a grim one, the type he'd seen soldiers get when they knew they might not survive.

"Link, take Zelda down the passageway; get her to safety," the King ordered. "We'll hold them off here."

Link didn't how to respond to that. "Father," Zelda said quietly. The King's expression softened.

"We'll be right behind you," the King assured. Even Link knew that was a lie.

"Link, here," the Captain called. He tossed Link a scabbard and shield; Link threw the scabbard on best as he could and put the shield on his back. "Now hurry up," the Captain ordered, and joined his men in battle. Link was concerned; surely the Captain would win, wouldn't he?

"Get Zelda to safety," the King repeated. Link nodded, feeling as grim as the King's expression. "The Goddesses bless you." Then he knocked one of the suits of armor over. The secret door began to close, and Link and Zelda hurried through. Zelda felt a sharp pang of hurt; she wondered if he'd known all along after all. The hurt didn't go away, but only increased. This was always the part she hated the most.

Link lowered his sword; he wasn't sure if there were any monsters in the passageway, but he knew the exit was well concealed. There probably weren't any then. He sheathed the sword and glanced at the princess. The look of pain on her face softened him, and reached for her hand. She looked up in mild surprise at his gesture, and Link tried to give her his most assuring smile.

Zelda was touched by his gesture and gave him a smile back. Even now, Link's center was steadfast and calm; it was the biggest reason she trusted him as deeply as she did now. Link held his eyes on Zelda a while longer, and then turned his eyes forward. He'd been given a charge, a very important one, and he had to see it through. Finding strength in his duty and determination, Link reached picked up the torch and led the way.

They walked without speaking, the sound of footsteps on the stone passageway the only noise. Link was acutely aware of Zelda gripping his hand for support as he led her; it was a tight grip and he could only imagine how scared she was. But without anything to say, he kept silent and led her on. After a decent amount of time, two more sounds added themselves. One was that of water droplets, splashing down occasionally from the ceiling. The other was a distance rumbling.

"What's that?" Zelda asked. Her voice sounded calm for the situation, yet with a touch of fear still present.

"The river," Link answered. "We're passing underneath it." A boat waited to take them down the river. And from that, it was a day or two's journey to Lake Hylia, and then a day to go around it and to the sanctuary on the edge of the Lost Woods. Hyrule Field was expansive and there was a reason that Link, currently on foot as a messenger, usually only went down to Kakariko Village. He hoped that they would make it safely; Zelda's safety was his responsibility.

The rumbling grew louder, and Link knew that they were getting closer to the exit. They finally reached it, where a boulder was lodged in the exit. Zelda looked concerned about that, but Link gave her a quick reassuring squeeze before looking at the ground. He found the iron bar that the Head Messenger had said would be there. He handed Zelda the torch and picked it up.

Link was thirteen years old; he doubted that the boulder had been designed to be moved by someone his age. But he didn't think it would be that difficult. He jammed the iron bar in a spot under the boulder and pushed down. The boulder trembled but didn't move. He pushed harder, but he couldn't put enough weight on it to shift the rock blocking their way. Link frowned at a random thought that went through his brain; to think of how he looked in front of the princess now of all times was rather petty.

"Link," Zelda called; he looked over. "The ceiling's low right there." Link looked as she gestured, and saw what she was looking at. She was right; the ceiling was low above the bar. An idea formed in Link's head. He climbed carefully onto the bar, placed his hands on the ceiling, and then pushed down on it with all his might.

Suddenly his footing gave way as the boulder rolled forward, the bar slipping out from under Link's feet. He fell down while the boulder continued to move, seemingly down a slope; there was their exit. Zelda knelt next to Link, eying a cut on his leg from the bar.

"Are you all right?" Zelda asked. Link nodded; it was a small cut; the biggest damage was to his pants. He stood up and took the torch back from her before peering outside. Sometime in the last half hour the rain had begun pouring down. It looked cold, but Link knew from his experience that it would hide the light of their torch, provided the torch didn't go out. He stepped out into the rain and extended a hand to help Zelda out.

He'd been right; the rain was cold and relentless. Link's torch went out quickly and he tossed it aside; the boat, attached to a small dock, was just ahead. He glanced at Zelda and saw her shiver. Trying to be nice, he took his shield and held it over her, providing a little protection. She gave him a grateful smile, hair plastered to her face. Then her smile turned to fear, and Link turned back around.

A man in black armor stood before them holding a mace. "Took you long enough," he grunted. He held out a hand. "Now hand the princess over, kid, or I'll start spilling blood."

Link's instinct from earlier screamed danger at him; this man was a murderer. But he wasn't going to hand the princess over, either. His eyes slid to the boat. It wasn't that far, and others had already given up much more than him. The thought terrified him, but Link gritted his teeth and held his ground.

He drew his sword and charged silently at the armored man. The man was mildly surprised by the attack, but blocked Link's clumsy strike easily. "Get to the boat!" Link shouted to Zelda. She nodded slowly and ran to it, getting in and readying to cast off.

Seeing what Link was doing, the attacker snarled. "No!" he shouted, and kicked Link aside. He gestured, and the river became a raging torrent that flung Zelda and the boat onto land. Link watched in horror as she landed headfirst and collapsed. He rose to his feet and ran to her, but the man caught him by the throat and held him up. "Your loss, boy; your blood will stain my boots." Link gasped for breath and grabbed the man's arm.

Light burst from his left hand and the man dropped Link in a cry of pain. Fury contorted his features, and the attacker gestured once more. Water splashed ashore and dragged Link into the torrential river, taking him down current.

The water spun in every direction, none of them being with his head above the water. Link flailed frantically, trying to get himself righted, but he didn't have any power against the powerful and speeding current. His air supply running painfully low, Link tried one last time to reach the surface but failed.

His body automatically tried to breathe and he gulped in cold water. Blackness covered his vision as he began to drown. The last thing Link felt was a tug on the back of his tunic before succumbing to a cold darkness.


	3. A Quest Begins

Chapter 3

A Quest Begins

Link's senses were roused slowly, or at least his awareness of them was. It took several moments before he was able to realize that he was hearing birds chirping in the background. With his brain in a stupor, he could only wonder why he was hearing birds in the first place. The last his muddled mind could remember, he was being tossed down the river while Zelda was being captured.

A second later his mind latched on that last thought. Waking as quickly as he could Link rolled clumsily onto an elbow, looking up around him. It took his eyes a few seconds to adjust and realize he was laying next to the riverbank. He unconsciously frowned as the information conflicted with his brain. Why hadn't he drowned? Where was Zelda? A brief look informed him that he was too far downstream make out anything of Castle Town or the castle itself? Had it survived? Where was everyone?

Too many questions were coming to him at once, his still wearing off brain fuzz wasn't helping matters. The thirteen year old boy scrunched his face up in thought, trying to make sense of things. All of his mashed thoughts paused, however, when a voice sounded in his ears and a figure appeared in his line of vision.

"Hey! You're awake," the fairy said, sounding incredibly relieved.

Link only blinked a few times in reply. He'd rarely seen a fairy before this, let alone one that would talk to him. Uncertain of what to do, Link opted to be silent.

"You'd fallen into the river and the waters were raging. I pulled you out after a lot of effort, but I wasn't sure if you'd make it," the fairy added. "You were almost gone when I pulled you out. You're pretty heavy for someone like me."

Words continued to fail him, so he studied the fairy deeper. She had a cheery voice, or at least Link assumed it was a female fairy; he could be wrong. He couldn't make out any particular details about her other than her wings and the glowing orb she was. She was a bright, vivid red; the closest comparison Link could think of was...hair. She reminded him of deep red hair, even though Link couldn't think of where he'd met a red haired person before. Confused by seemingly repressed memories of red hair, Link extended a hand out to see if the fairy was real.

She flew out of the way of his pathetic grab. "Don't do that, silly; it'll hurt my wings," she said, an almost teasing quality to her voice. It was like they were good friends who had bumped into each slowly. "Are you all right? Can you stand up?"

Link thought about it for a moment, and then pulled himself slowly to his feet. He staggered a little, but his balance returned quickly. Standing seemed to clear his head, and his thoughts became organized as he put things in order. Zelda was in danger; he had to find her. It was the duty given to him by the King after all, and if Link was honest with himself to do so felt instinctual. He looked at the fairy. "Thank you," he said.

"No problem; that's why I'm here anyway. I was sent to help you," the fairy explained.

An eyebrow raised at the fairy's words. Who had sent her? More importantly, who could send a fairy of all lifeforms to help someone? Link thought for a second; he couldn't think of many examples of fairies that would stick around or pull him out of the water otherwise. A thought occurred to him. "Did you see Zelda?" he asked.

The fairy's wings drooped. "No," she confessed. "I barely arrived in time to save you; nobody else was nearby. You must have come a long way down the river, and it took me awhile to pull you out. We're by Lake Hylia after all."

Link's expression rose and he turned around. The lake sat not an hour's walk behind him. It normally would take a few days; how fast had that water been going, and how had the man made it do such? A quick look informed him that the river was lower than usual, but he had to suspect magic was behind it.

"Excuse me," the fairy interrupted, catching Link's attention. "What do you intend to do now?"

The answer was obvious in Link's eyes. He'd been ordered to protect the princess. He'd failed, and she was likely captured. The only thing to do now was to find her and rescue her; it didn't get any easier than that. Link glanced down at his boots, making sure they weren't too damaged. It would take him a while on foot, but he had to do it.

It seemed his answer was apparent to his new fairy friend. "Well you still have your sword and shield; you were still holding onto them when I saved you. They're over there," she told him. Link watched as the fairy flew a couple feet over, where the sword and shield were laying on the ground. He joined her and picked them up, sheathing the sword in the scabbard that was still over his shoulder and putting the shield over his shoulder as well. He looked and noticed his satchel was still slung over his shoulder as well, if a little ragged from the water.

"Thanks," Link said again, adjusting his equipment. He'd have to find a way to make his satchel more comfortable to wear with his new sword and shield. How did soldiers and knights do it?

"No problem," the fairy assured. She examined him for a moment, or Link thought she did. "You really are brave for your age."

It didn't sound as much as a compliment but more of a reminiscent sigh, as though she was remembering something. Link gave the fairy a curious look, but she snapped out of it quickly.

"Well if you do intend to go after the princess, the first thing you'll have to do is get a horse; walking around on foot might take too long," the fairy offered.

Link nodded in agreement; a thirteen year old kid running all over Hyrule wasn't a good idea, and he knew that from experience as a Royal Messenger. The only problem was that they were far from any stables Link knew of, and he had never learned to ride a horse. The attack on Hyrule Castle had probably put that far from anyone's mind.

Wait; he was near Lake Hylia. And the King had wanted Link to take Zelda to a safe cabin near the Lost Woods' edge. Surely the King wouldn't mind if Link checked to see if there was a horse there he could take. After all, Link was doing it to save Zelda; he hoped nothing bad had happened. If it did, it was because of him. It was all the more reason to hurry.

His thirteen year old mind set on it, Link gestured for the fairy to follow him. "There's a cabin near the Lost Woods," Link explained. "Might be horses there."

"Good idea!" the fairy complimented, her high spirits restoring Link's as well; it was a wonderful shelter from the terrible things he'd seen last night. "I'm Malon, by the way."

Link's footsteps stopped and he frowned. He didn't know why, but he had known what her name was going to be a mere split second before she said it; he almost said it himself. Confusion wracked his brain. She reminded him of red haired people he'd never met and he knew her name before she said it. There was something odd about the little fairy, or at least about Link's memory. How was he knowing things he'd never known before?

Malon floated slowly to Link's eye level, wings fluttering nervously. "Are you all right?" she asked slowly, concerned.

Whatever stupor had been occupying his brain lessened and Link snapped out of it. This was no time to be daydreaming about strange occurences; the princess was in trouble. Determined further, Link cleared his mind. "It's nothing," he assured, and kept walking. "My name's Link." That seemed to satisfy Malon and she flew happily after him.

It took the pair the majority of the day to cross around the massive Lake Hylia. Thanks to his job as a Royal Messenger, it barely affected Link at all, his new fairy friend Malon didn't show any signs of tiredness either. In fact she kept his spirits constantly high, seemingly full of inexhaustible optimism and hope.

They reached the cabin and Link felt relief. There should be a few guards on hand to keep watch on the cabin; they could help him or send word to the others. Link turned a corner and stopped in place; the cabin's door had been smashed in. Caution replaced relief and concern threatened to overtake confidence. Link swallowed and reached for his sword, unwilling to submit to fear. Slowly, he peeked inside. The guards had been killed, defeated by monsters.

Link felt his legs freeze in place as he looked at the bodies; he had never seen violent death before. Defeating monsters had been easy last night; they disappeared into smoke. People didn't turn into smoke; their bodies remained, the same looks they wore when they died still there, empty eyes burning into the gaze of a thirteen year old boy.

The smell reached Link's nostrils, and he ran ten steps before doubling over and emptying his stomach. Malon flew worriedly over as Link supported his hands on his knees, breath ragged. He decided quickly he didn't like death; death was ugly.

Malon hovered around Link while he waited there, trying to ignore the now disgusting taste in his mouth. "Link," Malon said softly. "If you don't want to go back, you don't have to."

It was true; Link could turn his back on the place that instant if he wanted. But something about that didn't sit right with him, and he should his head. "I will," he muttered. There was a soft nuzzle at his arm as Malon did her best to comfort him. It was much appreciated, and he managed a small smile.

Gathering his courage, Link took in a breath; he knew what was there this time. It helped for the smell; it didn't do much for the sight. Relying on his inner strength, Link stepped into the cabin and looked around. Everything had been smashed and rendered useless for the most part; he did manage to take a little food and some flint. Link forced himself to look around the cabin one last time. It didn't feel right to just leave them like this; something had to be done for them. Link put his hand in his satchel and pulled the flint back out.

Half an hour later, the cabin was engulfed in flames as Link watched. He wasn't sure why he watched, but the cabin had broken any illusions he'd had about the world. Link had been sheltered as a kid, and seeing what he had meant he wasn't a kid any longer, and the mission he was going on was no child's play either. This was the nitty gritty of things, revealed to him by the cabin. Perhaps he felt some sort of obligation to see it through. Either way, he watched. It felt like the right thing to do.

The sun had been well on its way to setting when Link arrived at the cabin; now it was almost nightfall. Link decided to at least investigate the ring of logs that served as the cabin's horse pen. Part of it had been slashed open—probably by the same monsters that attacked the guards—and the horses were nowhere nearby. Upon closer inspection, Link realized that their tracks ran directly south—into the safety and mysteriousness of the Lost Woods.

He remembered well that no living soul had ever returned from there, and officially it was off limits to citizens. But if he followed the horse tracks, Link didn't think he'd get lost. Malon looked like she was also considering the Lost Woods as a next destination. She did interject a point, however. "It's easier to get lost in the dark; maybe we should wait until morning," she suggested.

Link agreed heartily with Malon's suggestion; he didn't want to face any more possible horrors in the night. Combined with last night's events, he was feeling a little overwhelmed. Perhaps a little sleep was the answer. He found a comfortable patch of ground, threw his satchel over his shield for a pillow, and fell asleep watching the fire.

Malon flew around Link for a little while before coming to land on his shoulder; he didn't wake. She would remain awake as long as possible to make sure Link was safe. "Don't worry, fairy boy," Malon whispered. "I'll protect you this time."


	4. The Lost Woods

Chapter 4

The Lost Woods

Link didn't sleep fitfully that night, although the cause of his unrest wasn't certain. When dawn came and Malon floated off his shoulder, the young boy instinctively drew the sword in a lethal slice, meant to kill the enemy his senses said were there. Instead, the wind behind the blow caught Malon off guard and she sailed after his sword, doing a few spins and twirls.

"Link? Is something wrong?" she asked, attempting to right herself again. Slowly, Link's brain caught up and he realized he'd nearly cut his fairy friend in two. Malon asked again.

He didn't have an answer, but instead lowered his sword and looked at his hand. He'd had dreams of...something. There was a lot of fighting, and he remember that he was part of it, but it was all fuzzy now. Link shrugged it off; it was just a dream, brought on by recent events. That's why he was dreaming of fighting things. Chances were that he wouldn't remember any of it later; dreams were like that.

Eating a piece of bread from his satchel, Link put his sword away and stood up. Then he turned and faced the Lost Woods, his intended destination for the day. Malon looked in the same direction. "I guess we have to find a horse," she offered.

Link nodded slowly. He thought about looking behind him before heading in, and then decided against it. It might weakne his resolve to see the world he knew before heading into the place no one returned from. And he had to go in. Link summoned up his courage, took a deep breath, and started walking. Malon floated after him.

The horse tracks hadn't been disturbed or covered at all, making it easy for Link to walk beside them. The horses all seemed to have ran in the same direction and stayed together for a long time; in fact it almost seemed like something must have guided them. He became more sure of it as the horse tracks all followed an invisible path, none of them deviating. Because of that, it wasn't for a while that Link realized it was getting harder to see them. He stopped walking and crouched down to look.

"Something wrong?" Malon asked, hovering up to his eyes.

Link glanced up at her and realized there was no sunlight reaching him; the trees completely blocked out any sign of the sky. He looked behind himself and found he couldn't see the edge of the forest either. How long had he been walking?

"Just dark," Link muttered, standing up. He felt around in his satchel for the flint he'd picked up and drew his sword. But there wasn't any dead wood near him to use, and Link didn't trust himself to get lost if he went looking for some. There was a reason nobody had ever come back.

Malon came to his rescue. "Here; does this help?" she offered. The faint red light she emitted picked up in strength, and it was enough to spotlight the horse tracks.

Link smiled. "Thanks," he said, moving on. Malon's glow became a little bit brighter at that. Link kept his eyes on the tracks, making sure he didn't miss anything as they were now his only way out of the forest. Malon for her part was silent, emitting red light to guide their path. Link didn't say anything about it, but the red tint sent a few chills down his spine; it was an eerie sight in a still forest.

Every once in a while, Link would think that he'd finally heard something other than the soft noise of his footsteps and glance around. Yet no matter how hard he looked Link never caught sight of any living thing in the Lost Woods. It was as though his presence signaled everything else to be quiet while he passed through, and he wasn't the only one to notice it. Malon, who earlier had been going back and forth lighting up the path, now stayed right by Link, moving at the same pace as him.

Nothing else moved as they travelled, and after what seemed like hours Link couldn't be certain of the time. It could be noon or even nightfall outside the forest, and he had only his internal clock to guide him by; the thick haze of branches prevented any light from seeping through. In fact if it wasn't for Malon, Link would be stumbling around in near darkness.

Then they reached a new trait to the horse tracks they were following. Ahead through a clearing that retained the forest's light blanket, the tracks crossed over themselves for the first time. Link had no idea how far in they were, but he didn't think the woods were small enough that the horses would have ran over their tracks in such a clear perpendicular trail. It was like whatever had been guiding them looped them around.

"Which way do you want to go?" Malon asked, floating over the intersection. Link thought about it. If he cut ahead here, he miss something. But then there was the fact that the horses had indeed cross their own path. Whatever they had done to loop like that, it must not have been good. So Link decided to cut ahead and gain some time. The horses had to slow eventually and pick somewhere.

They traveled on for a ways before Link came to a dead stop. At his feet was another intersection. He frowned and peered closely; it almost looked like it was the _same_ intersection that he'd seen before. Link glanced at Malon to see if she had anything to say; they turned around to look behind them. The way they'd just stepped through seconds ago was now blocked by a boulder Link knew hadn't been there before. Furthermore, the horse tracks he'd just followed weren't even there.

His breathing picked up a little as worry entered Link's mind. While he'd had known people never returned from the Lost Woods, he thought it might be because of its size and the darkness; magic had never seemed a culprit. But now he was highly suspicious of magic in the trees that changed things around him.

"Link?" Malon called, her nervous tone the only noise. She wasn't facing the boulder, but something to the side. Link turned to see what it was and his eyes widened while his body froze in place. Their surroundings hadn't changed again, but something worse rested across from them.

A large creature was asleep feet from them. The wolf-like thing was easily five or six times Link's size, and he doubted it was friendly. Suddenly the dead silence of the Lost Woods made more sense to Link; He could only thank his luck it was asleep. He looked down at his feet to quietly followed the horse tracks away.

The tracks were gone.

Link swallowed and raised his eyes again; fear of being trapped in the woods was a substantial threat now. He gave Malon a quick look, who had already lowered the amount of light she was putting out. As one, the two began to back away slowly, hoping another change of surroundings might put some distance between them and the sleeping beast. But as though his thoughts had been broadcasted out loud, the beast woke up.

Its eyes widened in reflex, and then focused on the young boy in front of him. A low growl emanated from a mouth lined with razor sharp teeth. Link considered the situation briefly; he was up against an animal much bigger than him with only a sword and shield, surrounded in a cursed forest that was determined to live up to its namesake. So he did the smart thing; he ran.

Seconds after he and Malon turned tail the beast was after them, an earsplitting roar sent forth. Link took advantage of his surroudings and swung around a tree, making the corner sharp and difficult to follow. It bought him maybe a few seconds more as he worked his legs as hard as he could; behind him the beast was coming.

Link whipped through the trees, uncaring that he was now hopelessly lost in the woods. He had been hopelessly lost already; the tracks had disappeared and the scenary had changed on him. And now a gigantic monster was hounding after him, probably savoring its next meal. Link gritted his teeth and ran harder; he wasn't going to give in.

He turned around another tree to regain the distance that was constantly being closed in. The chase was made more difficult by the endless trees Link had to avoid as well as the monster; it didn't help that the red light Malon emitted wasn't good for chases in black forests. The little fairy was moving just as quickly as Link, knowing that the monster could just as easily decide she was dessert. "Link," Malon panted, "Do you have a plan?"

As he turned again Link had to admit to himself he didn't have one. His only idea was to run hard and fast enough that the monster would decide he wasn't worth the trouble. Yet at the same time, if that didn't work Link would be facing the monster with little energy left to defend himself. He had to think of something, or both he and Malon would end up dead and the princess left to her doom. And that was unacceptable; nobody else knew that the princess had been taken captive and it would take days or even weeks to find out. By then it could be too late, so Link had to survive. Link grabbed another tree to swing himself around...

...and collided with the same boulder that he had just run several distances from.

His nose spurting blood, Link fell to the ground, unsure of whether to clutch his nose or his head. The sound of the beast chasing him reminded him he had little time for neither, and Link spun around to see the monster nearly on top of him. He reached for his sword and tried to turn around in time as it got closer; Malon held her ground bravely next to him, searching for the beast's weak spots. Link got to his feet and reached for his shield with his other hand as the beast leapt into the air to kill him in one fatal blow.

Rather than attack Link in mid-air, it landed just in front of him, shaking the ground so much Link's footing slid out from under him. He couldn't get his shield free and he doubted his ability to get back to his feet in time as the monster raised a paw to shred Link into pieces. He felt fear rise at the knowledge he was going to die.

In that moment, his left hand lit up, surprising Link as well as the monster. It roared again and hesitated, paw in mid-air for the swipe. In that moment, he was saved.

There was a wordless battle cry, and someone stepped in-between Link and the monster faster than he could've reacted, holding a lantern and a sword. A swipe so fast it seemed like a blur, and the savior cut across the monster's front leg that was still on the ground. With an anguished cry the monster lowered its other paw, supporting the injured one as it instinctively backed away from its attacker. This gave Link enough time to fight down the fear and inspect his attacker.

It was the cloaked figure that had stopped him at Hyrule Castle Town, who had told him to hurry up. What was he doing here? He couldn't have followed Link here; most of his journey had been through secret passage and dangerous waterway. Not to mention the chances of finding someone in the Lost Woods had to be really high. And yet it _was_ him, because suddenly the monster wasn't the most dangerous thing there.

Just like at the town, the cloaked figure exuded a permeable feeling of danger. It caused Malon to freeze in place before flying for safety in Link's hat, leaving the only light coming from his savior's lantern. The beast seemed to sense the stranger's terrible and lethal nature as well, and considered him for a moment before attacking with a loud roar.

And then there was silence.

The figure turned back towards Link, disregarding the giant monster he'd just killed with a blow to the neck. Though he couldn't see it, Link could swear his savior's eyes narrowed vehemently. "Get up," the stranger ordered.

Seeing as how the figure had just saved his life, Link obeyed him and got back to his feet. The figure put away his sword, which came as a relief to the young boy; he let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. The figure regarded him a moment, and Link did the same.

"That was a giant wolfos; they've become a problem here, especially for those who can't find their way," the figure said. There was a menacing tone to his words, and Link didn't think he was safe just because the figure put a sword away; he seemed more terrible than he had a moment ago. Then the figure paused, as if he was looking at something. Link could barely make out the most subtle shift in his hood's position as his head moved. "Listen," he told Link.

Then he blew out his lantern and plunged them into darkness. Link hadn't been ready for the sudden shift in lighting. By the time his eyes had adjusted, any sign or silhouette of his savior was gone; the man had left him just as quickly as he'd arrived. Only the dead monster in front of him stood as any evidence he'd been there. Link felt another held breath release as he couldn't sense his presence either. He thought back to what the man had said.

_Listen_. Link closed his eyes and did so, his heartbeat returning to a steady rhythm as he calmed himself down. Then he heard something. It wasn't any natural sound he would expect to hear in a forest, nor was it another monster. It was faint, tingling...like music. Surprised, it nearly disappeared from his ears before Link focused again, listening to the forest. And then it reappeared, a little louder than before. It was like it was alive, calling to him.

Link opened his eyes and looked in the direction the music was coming from. He started to walk towards it, and the music increased in volume. Link's pace increased as he felt his soul connect with the tune. Soon he could hear each note in the strange song, and light had appeared up ahead; was it the border, the way back he came? He broke into a light run at the patch of light, and found exiting the darkness of the Lost Woods for something much more different than he'd expected—and yet strangely familiar at the same time.


End file.
